Husband, dad, pastor, artist, and musician. Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 (no joke!). Loves coffee (big time), good movies, and sarcastic humor. Holds a Doctorate in Ministry. Most importantly, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Him! Matthew 5:16
I am going to church this morning. Yep, that’s what I’m gonna do.
I’m not going as one who wants to show off…as one who wants to be seen…as one who deserves any kind of blessing, healing, or anointing…as one who deserves anything at all.
I’m not going because it’s expected of me, even though it is – I’m the pastor, you know.
I’m not going to prove anything to anyone, especially God, because He knows my heart; He knows me better than I know myself.
I am going to church this morning because my God is faithful, despite my unfaithfulness.
I am going to church this morning because my God deserved to be praised by me in front of others, because I love Him, and I’m not ashamed.
I just want to take a quick moment to blog. By that I mean that I want to do what blogging used to be meant for: a web log of thoughts; a diary of sorts.
What thoughts do I want to record and share with the world? Politics. Specifically, pastors and the subject of politics.
The reason I want to simply “blog” is because I have not done any research, sourcing, or anything like that in order to craft a professional opinion piece. This is not meant to be an article worth publishing in a news paper or magazine. I have no links to news stories or pictures to share.
No, all this is meant to be is me sharing my thoughts off the cuff, unprepared, and dangerous.
You see, I have political opinions. I have my opinions about our President. I have strong opinions about the government and the direction we should be going as a country. Yet, as a pastor, my thoughts on these issues are considered taboo, off limits, no matter if they are spoken from the pulpit or elsewhere (and I’m speaking generically, not specifically about my current congregation).
It’s a strange situation to be in, actually. I mean, here we are, pillars in the community, men tasked with preaching truth without compromise, yet if we mention anything about conservative policies we think might better the community, we’re in danger of alienating people and running the risk of splitting a congregation!
It’s pretty sad, isn’t it? Shouldn’t the gospel apply to every area of life? Shouldn’t the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles find application in the voting booth? It would seem so. However, I could preach about anything, even against same-sex marriage, and aside from the vitriolic response I might get from friends of the rainbow, the average church member would support me in my pastoral, prophetic role. Yet, talk about anything political that might hint of my personal persuasions and I’d likely be censured.
Do you ever wonder why this is? Do you ever wonder why it is that a pastor cannot talk about politics that same way he can about adultery, lying, anger, murder, hate, hypocrisy, abuse, weighted scales, and bigotry?
Think about it… there are people in Christian media and print, along with nationally-known religious personalities, who are taking full advantage of their platforms to say anything negative about our President, even to the point of calling for his impeachment. Yet, if the average pastor stood behind the pulpit and said, “I think we ought to pray for Donald Trump, that he should succeed and become a great President, for our country and the world’s sake,” he’d likely be labeled a fascist, racist, evil Nazi sympathizer.
Oh, I forgot. It’s OK to admit you pray for the President, but only if you’re Nancy Pelosi and your ultimate goal is his imprisonment.
Here’s the thing, though. In every congregation of believers in Christ there are going to be people who are members of different political factions, and that goes for everywhere. Yet, when it comes to issues of right and wrong, good and evil, and how we should live out our faith in the public arena, which includes the voting booth, if God’s sufficient Word cannot find application that should guide the Christian, if there are areas in life that cannot be addressed by Scripture for fear that it might offend the Christian or bruise his personal sacred cow, then is the revealed Word of God really all it claims to be?
Prudence soaked in love; wisdom granted by the Spirit; and a keen contextual awareness are key when considering when, where, and how we should address these topics. However, fear should never be the motivating factor that intimidates us into silence when God has a Word to say.
For some reason, I’m feeling like there’s the possibility of something profound in this question. I don’t know why. Prohound? I don’t know.
Anyway, if you have a canine member of your family, what did you name it, and why?
My dog has several names, and there’s a legitimate reason for each.
George Boogidee Baker
George, because he’s named after the first dog I had when I first moved out of my parent’s house. That George was named after the name the Abominable Snow Man gave both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck: “I will love him and hug him and pet him…” etc.
Boogidee, because he needed a middle name, and that’s something I called him in the mornings when I woke him up. It just came to me.
Baker, because he’s part of the family.
Dark Paw
That’s his Native American name. You know, since I have Cherokee heritage.
He has one dark paw.
R.R.
Pronounced Aaarrr Aaarrr.
This is his Pirate name.
Came from when my wife said he looked like a racing rat when he was sleeping next to me.
We also have a deacon whose name is L.H., so having an RR around kinda fits.
OK, I don’t want to be prejudiced, even though I prefer dogs over iguanas. But if you have another kind of inferior pet, you can get in on this discussion, too.
Pet names for your spouse or significant other doesn’t count.
The number of followers and subscribers this blog has just amazes me. I mean, no, it’s not a huge number, but still. At least it’s more than the 100 I was trying to reach my first year doing this! And to be sure, I appreciate every one!
But besides the number of people following, the type of people who follow this blog amazes me. For example, it doesn’t shock me to see fellow believers subscribe to my blog, but why all the Muslim, pagan, and atheist followers? What have I done to cause them to click here?
Seriously, I would love to hear from you. Why did you subscribe? Was it just to get me to visit your website, or are you legitimately interested in what this crazy Baptist preacher has to say?
Was it Mr. Monkey that brought you here? A sermon? A friend who sent you a link? I really want to know.
But I Will Follow
Regardless, I would like to make one thing absolutely clear – I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and for that, I make no apology. I hope everything I write ultimately reflects that fact.
Many times people in the public eye are hesitant to take a stand or draw a line in the sand for fear of public opinion. And, if the truth is known, thanks to my critics, sometimes I have cowered. But this should not be. I should always speak with love and respect to all who may disagree with me, but I should never shy away from biblical truths, even if they are currently politically incorrect.
So, I am glad to have a few followers, and I would love to have more, but I would gladly see them all go away before I deny my Lord and Savior. Jesus said (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23) that anyone who would be his servant must “take up his cross” and follow.
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Sadhu Sundar Singh – Indian Christian missionary
Crosses are not fun, or popular … neither are the ones who carry them.
If there was only one thing I had to say I honestly miss about living in Chattanooga, it’s the INTERNET SPEED!
On the other hand, our internet speeds in this part of the state of Georgia are dreadfully slow compared to what I’ve been used to:
“First, fastest, least expensive internet access in US.” — New York Times
50 times the US average internet speed
To refresh, that’s a GIGABIT, as opposed to a max of 25MB per second here in Warthen!
Hey, Governor Kemp! The Kaolin Belt needs fiber optics!
Resolution Sermon
But the point of this post is not internet speeds – it’s about New Year resolutions and a sermon I preached this last Sunday morning … of which I only managed to record 1 second of the audio!
So, what I did was go to my office, today, and record a “recap” of the sermon, thereby replacing the lost sermon for my archives.
You can watch the video (only 11 minutes) or look at the outline, or both. Regardless, here are some “Questions to Ask When Making a New Year’s Resolution.”
Questions to Ask When Making a New Year’s Resolution (Isaiah 50:7; Luke 9:51, 12:50; Acts 20:24)
1. Do I NEED to make any resolutions?
“There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks.” – David Lloyd George
2. What has God called me to do? (John 6:38) “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” – John 4:34
3. Where will I be at this time next year if nothing changes?
“You don’t drown by falling into water. You only drown if you stay there.” – Zig Ziglar
4. Will I be willing to be held accountable? (Ecc. 4:9-12)
It is in our nature to NOT want accountability
James 5:15 “confess your faults one to another”
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpeneth another”
5. Will my determination be visible? Samuel Adams – “We have proclaimed to the world our determination ‘to die freemen, rather than to live slaves.’ We have appealed to Heaven for the justice of our cause, and in Heaven we have placed our trust.”
6. Will I rely on my own strength?
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble – Psalm 46:1
7. To WHOM will the glory go when I succeed? “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” – Col. 3:23
8. Is the JOY worth the PAIN? “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 KJV
Will Rogers – “Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment.”
William Penn – “No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”
Before I got to work on the following list, I was afraid it might be difficult to come up with 20. But once I got started, I realized I could easily create a list much longer (but you wouldn’t read a list of 100, would you?).
Nevertheless, here are 20 things I believe; 20 statements that define who I am and where I stand on current issues; 20 things I want to be perfectly and absolutely clear in 2020 … just in case you wondered.
1. Jesus is the only way to God, the only Way. As Jesus said in John 14:6, He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life.
2. My wife is my #1 earthly priority. Period. After that comes my family, then church, etc.
3. Even though God called me to preach and blessed me with the opportunity to pastor a great church, my very first mission field is my family, starting with my wife. If I fail there, I’m no good anywhere else. 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
4. “Thoughts and prayers” are worthless unless there is One who hears the prayers and can answer them. Prayer is not a magic formula, nor does it have intrinsic power. However, those who mock people who send “thoughts and prayers” are arrogant fools.
5. I prefer the simplicity, predictability, and consistency of iPhones. I don’t need flash; I need function.
6. I am exactly where God wants me to be… in Warthen, GA, at Bethlehem Baptist Church.
7. I can’t see any Democrat in the current field of contenders defeating President Trump in a fair election.
8. I am not a Calvinist (by choice).
9. If you ask me to dinner at a restaurant , don’t expect me to sit on the inside of a booth where I can’t get out – I will panic.
10. Cottage cheese I will not eat, even if it’s mixed with something sweet.
11. Anti-Gun laws are stupid and the people that want to keep creating more are either uneducated, uninformed, or nefariously evil. Anti-Knife laws, and those who write them, are comically insane.
12. I believe ALL murder, attempted murder, and rape are hate crimes. It matters not the color of skin, sexual preference, or religion; it’s all hate-driven. To kill murder someone should result in the death penalty, so how much more can you punish someone if when they kill you they hate who or what you are?
13. Convicted sexual predators should be castrated.
14. Antifa and similar groups should be considered terrorist organizations.
15. We don’t need more Star Wars films. Heck, we didn’t need any after Han Solo was thawed.
16. Greta Thunberg needs to respect her elders, and when the world is still here in 2031, she and AOC need to sit over a dunk tank full of ground glacier ice while man-made climate change deniers get 3 free throws each.
17. There are only 2 sexes: male and female. Medicine, surgery, and the way one thinks does not change a man into a woman, nor a woman into a man. This is reality. Anything else is delusional or imaginary.
18. My wife is beautiful, and so are our daughters! I’m tremendously proud of all of them!
19. Chiropractors and essential oils (especially CBD) are totally over-hyped, regardless their actual benefits.
20. I’m totally grateful for those who read and share the content in this blog. Without you, I’d might as well stick with scribbling notes on my desk calendar. God bless each and every one of you.
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11
Late-Comers
Part of the Christmas story can be found in the book of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament. There, in chapter two, we read of several wise men, Magi, who followed the star till it rested over the place where the young Jesus was living.
But what most people fail to notice is that only the shepherds came to visit Jesus while he was still a baby in a manger. The Magi came later, once they were living “in the house” and Jesus was a “young child.” And, based on Herod’s decree that all male children 2 years old and younger should be killed (Matt. 2:16), Jesus could have been a toddler up and walking.
Simply put, generally, every manger scene protested against by atheists is not a faithful representation of the Christmas story. How ironic is that? But I digress…
The Gifts
When the Magi came to Bethlehem in search of “he that is born King of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2), they brought with them three very rare and valuable gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They were not random gifts, but ones with specific political, spiritual, and practical importance; they were meant to recognize a literal, earthly, but also heavenly King.
Gold was a universally recognized precious metal, symbolic of all wealth. Frankincense was a substance primarily used as incense, but also mixed with other substances to create the holy anointing oil placed on high priests and kings. Myrrh was a substance used for things ranging all the way from cosmetics and antiseptics, to perfuming the living and embalming the dead.
According to Matthew 2:11, the Magi fell down before Jesus, which would have been an appropriate response when in the presence of royalty (and these men knew the difference). But the wise men did more than fall prostrate before royalty, they “worshiped him.” This young king was more than just “King of the Jews,” but the long-promised Messiah, and they offered their gift to the Son of God.
Are You Wise?
As long as I can remember there have been sermons preached during and before Christmas entitled, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” The sermons focus primarily on the seeking leading up to Christmas, but rarely, if ever, on the gifts given after the celebration is over. But today is different.
Today, I am going to ask you to consider three gifts we should give, now that the birthday celebration is over.
Gold. Gold represented wealth. In your worship of the King, will you give Him your wealth? In reality, God owns everything, including everything He loans unto you. But with your heart, are you willing to lay everything that is most valuable to you at His feet?
Frankincense. Frankincense represented worship. Would you be willing to fall down before Jesus, or do you hold back some of your Frankincense in reserve? Are there idols in your life – people or things – for which you reserve a little of that anointing oil, making those things lords of your life? Would you be willing to make Jesus Lord of all? Will you worship him without reservation?
Myrrh. Myrrh was symbolic of the beauty of life, from beginning to end. Would you give to Jesus everything that makes you happy? Everything that brings you hope? Everything that is sweet-smelling? Everything that hides your faults and failures, disguising your true self? Would you give Jesus your life? He can do more with it than you can do on your own.
Returns
For several days after Christmas people will stand in line to return and/or exchange unwanted gifts. Many will trade what others gave them for something they want more. Others will just ask for a refund or in-store credit.
Rest assured that when you give your gifts to Jesus, he will not return them, exchange them, or re-gift them next year. But will you, once you realize what you’ve given, want to take something back?
Don’t wait for a New Year’s resolution. Now that Christmas is over, be like the Magi and leave everything at Jesus’ feet, then “depart…another way.” Once you give Jesus those three gifts, you’ll never be the same.
One of the activities that occupies my time is learning the history of the area where I pastor. Believe me, there’s more than enough to keep one learning for a long, long time.
But learning local history is vitally important for getting to know the people one’s called to shepherd. And being that I’m not a local, not even close, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to go on some adventures in order to get a “lay of the land.”
That is why, after learning of the existence of an abandoned mental hospital, I had to learn more, and if possible, in person.
The Unofficial History
The place that I’m talking about is Central State Hospital, founded in 1842 as the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum. At one time this was the largest mental hospital/asylum in the world, “serving” up to 13,000 people.
Central State has a long and sorted history with a mixed reputation for healing and horror. From what I have been told by locals (you know, the kind that sit around in the barber shop even when it’s not time for a trim), strange and unexplained things have happened since the “residents” of that place were “let loose.” And when you read the stories that hit the news in the years leading up to the hospital’s closing, you’ll understand.
This hospital was HUGE. We’re talking a self-supporting town! There were a couple of hundred buildings, including a power plant and a cemetery with 25,000 graves! And really, what more needs to be said?
Sadly, even though the hospital was founded as a place to help people, the help they offered for generations was nothing short of horrific. At one point there were 100 patients to every 1 doctor – and NO psychiatrists or psychologists! Common treatments of the confined, those who suffered from anything from depression to schizophrenia, were things like electro-shock, surgeries, and straight jackets.
What’s worse, parent’s in Georgia used to use this place as a threat to make their children behave. They would threaten their unruly children with, “I’ll send you to Milledgeville!” Horrifically, it was a threat with weight, for it’s been said that Central State Hospital was a place “where you sent people away to be forgotten.”
The Unofficial Tour
If you look up Central State Hospital on YouTube, you will inevitably find videos of people exploring the abandoned ruins of this facility. And what’s more, many of those are focused on the creepy and “haunted” aspects of the property. As a matter of fact, Central State is considered one of the most haunted places in America.
However, if you go to MY YouTube channel, what you will find is the video I’ve attached to this post. It is a video of what an unnamed friend and I saw when he offered to give me an unofficial tour.
The only thing is that what started off as a drive around the place ended up with me deciding to get out of the car for a closer look. And once we did that, and once I saw that there were no locks and no signs saying “KEEP OUT!”, I went in.
WARNING: Don’t do this!
“Break’n the Law”
After about an hour of walking around in an abandoned prison essentially meant to house handicapped and elderly prisoners until they died … and after several times of mimicking TV ghost hunters by calling to the unseen down black, unlit hallways, “Is anybody there?” … we retraced our steps and found our way out into the sunlight.
Before we made it to the car, a female security officer in a van came down a weedy, overgrown single-lane drive and rolled up beside us. “You are not allowed to be here…you need to leave now,” she said with all the seriousness of somebody being paid to guard Area 51. “Oh, OK. We were just looking around and about to leave,” we replied.
“Just so you know, we’re not giving warnings anymore – we’re just calling the police and they’re taking people like you to jail,” the security officer then informed us. But then she let us go with a warning.
Back in the car, my friend, also a preacher, asked, “Would your church had fired you if you’d gotten arrested?”
“Probably not,” I said. At least I hoped.
“We literally could have gone to jail,” my friend said. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I replied. “But it feels a little adventurous knowing we broke the law and got away with it.” I couldn’t help but remember MTV’s Beavis and Butthead from back in my younger, stupid years: they’d do something moronic, then act like would-be renegades while singing, “Break’n the law! Break’n the law!”
Looking back over older (vintage; gently-read) posts, I found this gem from December 2012. You know, from back in my bus-driving days (and before I wrote my book).
Enjoy!
Life Lessons
If you are new to my blog, besides trying to pastor a church, parent children, and perturb a wife, I drive a school bus. It’s what I do to help pay the bills and increase my presence in the community.
A while back I wrote a series of posts called “Life Lessons from the School Bus.” I haven’t done any in a while, however. So, since school is now out for Christmas vacation, I thought it would be a good time to catch up.
Below are three, short examples of truth gleaned from inside the “yellow box” on wheels. If you like these, you should go read some of my older posts. You won’t be disappointed.
“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.” – Proverbs 3:13-15 NKJV
The Roundabout
Europe came to Chattanooga a few years ago in the form of roundabouts. They are only in a few places, but people are getting used to them, especially the NASCAR fans – they love driving in circles.
Anyway, last week I came to a roundabout in my bus. About a quarter of the way through, a girl in a little car came from the street to my right and pulled directly in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes. “Oops!” was the look that came across her face. “Idiot!” must have been the look on mine.
Life Lesson? Are school buses invisible? No, and neither are many of the tragedies that run over people every day. People get so distracted with life that they never see the things approaching which could take life from them.
Losing Marbles
There’s this one little girl on my bus that cries over the least little things, like when she doesn’t get her way. One time she was crying about how everybody hated her. Then, just as she was stepping off the bus, another little boy looked back at her and said, “Nobody hates you, [name]; we just don’t like you.”
Well, that afternoon, when the elementary kids were getting on the bus to go home, this little girl got on first and sat on the front row. “Would you like a marble, Mr. Baker?” she asked. “No,” I said, “I have plenty.” “What kind do you have?” she asked. “The round kind,” I replied.
Then, as every child getting on the bus walked past her she would say, “Would you like a marble? You can have it for keeps. Everyone! Get your free marble, if you want one!”
I asked, “What are you doing? Why are you giving away your marbles?” She said, “Because I am going to make them like me.”
Life Lesson? Believe it or not, many adults do the same thing. They treat others poorly, then try to buy their friendship with shiny trinkets. Sadly, when all is said and done, the marbles just end up on the floor when the “friends” leave.
Puke Breeds Puke
It’s the last thing a bus driver wants to deal with, but puke happens.
Recently a driver in our area suffered a puking “perfect storm.” One child on his bus got sick and orally relieved himself, which started a chain reaction. I’ll never forget the driver’s words over the two-way radio, “It’s everywhere…all over…the bus is covered.”
You see, there is an irrefutable law on school buses: puke runs downhill (or down aisles). So, when one kid started throwing up, six or seven others followed his example, leaving the bus to be washed out with a water hose.
Life lesson? Watch your mouth – and what you spew out of it. The way you talk will influence others. Bad attitudes breed more bad attitudes, and what you end up with is a nasty mess.
Want to be a school bus driver? Doesn’t pay a lot, but the lessons learned are worth a fortune!
Was it everything you dreamed it would be? Did everything go as planned without any family drama?
Were all the decorations beautiful?
Have you been listening to Christmas music since the day after Thanksgiving? Have you been drinking egg nog for the last three weeks? Have you spent hours shopping while listening to Salvation Army bells ringing?
Are you glad it’s over?
Are you a little tired of the parties, the celebrations, the concerts, the pageants, the tons of gift wrapping, the crowds, and the never-ending tunes about lights, bells, joy, and Santa?
Fact is if you are tired of it all and are ready for life to get back to normal, then you’re human and not an elf, and that’s an important truth to consider.
Celebrating Christmas has completely worn me out. I’ve had my fill of carols, smiles, joy, and jingle bells… even eggnog. I need a break.
And believe it or not, these feelings we have after Christmas – the weariness of celebration – point to the fact that we have not been fully redeemed; our bodies are still waiting for that final transformation.
[We] also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. – Romans 8:23b CSB
What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. – 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 CSB
So, just imagine how difficult it would be to survive heaven for more than a day or two?
Not only will we need new bodies that never grow old, get weak, and want to go to bed before sundown, but we will need to be set free from all the chains of this mortal flesh – everything that turns an elf into a Grinch around December 26th or 27th.
Our corruptible minds and bodies must be exchanged for that which is incorruptible, else we won’t be able to endure the eternal and glorious celebration that is to come.
Without being changed, heaven would be full of worn-out billion-year-olds leaving the dirty dishes for the angels to deal with.
Heaven will be a celebration of the Redeemer by the redeemed.
So don’t be surprised when I say, “You must be born again” (John 3:7 NLT).
If the corruptible got in, heaven wouldn’t stay heaven for long; it would feel like hell.
George Boogidee Baker
If there was only one thing I had to say I honestly miss about living in Chattanooga, it’s the INTERNET SPEED!
The Recovering Legalist 